Steps to avoid a home inspection killing a deal! (For agents)
Home inspections are notorious for "killing" a real estate transaction. Home inspectors are sometimes viewed as clip board carrying nit pickers looking to ruin someone's dream of buying a home. While there are inspectors that are out to nitpick, most are just trying to serve their client. Remember, the home inspector serves the client who paid for the inspection not an agent who hopes to get a commission. Again, most agents want their clients to be well served, but there are some that are less than honest.
So assuming that all parties are above board and desiring the highest level of ethics, how can we avoid an inspection killing a deal? Here are a few ways:
If you are representing the seller get a pre-listing inspection. If you do not encourage your client to get one, they won't. Then you get the offer and the inspector comes out. You wait and just hope they don't "kill" the deal. Be proactive and find the issues before there is even a deal.
If you are representing the buyer prepare them for the report. If your client is nervous get a sample report from your inspector (like this one) so they know what to expect. Often people have unrealistic expectations (I know this comes as a surprise) and that is true of home inspections. There will be issues found and reported. Some clients view the inspection as a test and anything less than perfect means it's bad. It isn't the number of issues found, but what issues are found. Safety and structural issues are most important and then the rest is usually cosmetic or maintenance issues. Prepare them and then walk them through it. I am happy to go over the report with agents and clients alike.
Sometimes you want the deal to fall apart. As an agent you do not want a call months after closing with your client upset with all the issues showing up in their new home. Some agents want the inspector to "take it easy" on the inspection. My answer to this is, NO! I will do my job regardless what the agent wants. We are working together to make sure our common client gets the best deal, and has the best understanding of what they are buying. Go back #2 if you are concerned with the report scaring your client away. If they do get scared and walk away consider it a blessing that you avoided that call months from now. Also look at #4.
Find an inspector that understands how to communicate to the client. Just because we find issues in the home doesn't mean that we should scare the client. Some issues are severe and there should be a sense of urgency in addressing them. However, some issues are minor and to be expected. Having an inspector who will communicate the issues, but not add a level of fear is important. A hairline crack in the drywall could be due to some settlement, but it doesn't mean the house is falling in. The good news is that we understand this and we can make sure we communicate properly with the client about the issues.
Contact us today to set up your pre-listing or buyer inspection! Call us at 762-525-0263 or fill out the request form here.
Jon